Reports

This report presents a condensed summary of a research study designed to more clearly define post-school employment outcomes, document the post-school outcomes for youth with developmental disabilities, and examine the predictors of successful integrated employment for youth with developmental disabilities, as defined by eligibility for long term funding support from state developmental disabilities agencies.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has released annually updated findings on the costs and benefits of workplace accommodations. JAN interviewed nearly 2,000 employers between 2004 and 2012. The study results have consistently shown that the benefits employers receive from making workplace accommodations outweigh the cost. Providing accommodations resulted in benefits as retaining valuable employees, improving productivity, reducing workers’ compensation, and improving company diversity.

This document identifies promising and emerging practices for advancing the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities identified in 10 selected agency plans submitted under Executive Order 13548. This report addresses all promising and emerging practices used by these Federal agencies that are identified in their plans. This report may be used by Federal agencies to ensure that the Federal government becomes a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities.

The affordability of private pay services is an important component of LTSS system performance. This Insight on the Issues presents data on private pay affordability for every state and more than 400 markets in the U.S. There is wide variation in affordability between states and markets. Private pay nursing home care is not affordable for middle-income families. While less costly than nursing homes, home health care is still unaffordable for middle-income older people at typical levels of use.

This report seeks to understand quality care from a unique perspective; the individual receiving or accessing paid care services and support in their own home. The Consumer Voice convened interviews, surveys, and a national focus group to determine how consumers define quality care, pinpoint needed care improvements and recommend policy actions to provide more access to quality home care. This report provides consumers with an opportunity to speak out and contribute to shaping the policies.

This study challenges the common perception of family caregiving as a set of personal care and household chores that most adults already do or can easily master. The major shift is that the role of family caregivers has dramatically expanded to include performing medical/nursing tasks of the kind and complexity once only provided in hospitals. The findings highlight an urgent need for both individual and collective action. The report makes ten recommendations to support the current caregivers.

This report is an update of an earlier report, "Americans with Disabilities: 2005." The 2010 findings indicate that approximately 56.7 million Americans have a disability, an increase of 2.2 million since 2005. Additionally, the number and percentage of Americans with a severe disability also increased. This document also presents descriptive statistics about disability prevalence and economic conditions of the people with disabilities.

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is the largest source of federally-funded employment and training services. WIA allows states to apply for waivers of WIA regulations to provide greater flexibility in serving the needs of local populations. The Department of Labor approved more than 750 state-requested waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements between 2008-2010. This report evaluates selected waivers during the time period to examine the possible effects of waiver implementation.

What actions states are taking to implement the Medicaid expansion? Specifically, the report addresses the following questions: (1) What are the states' responsibilities for implementing the Medicaid expansion? (2) What actions have selected states taken to prepare for the Medicaid expansion, and what challenges have they encountered?, and (3) What are states' views on the fiscal implications of the Medicaid expansion on state budget planning?

The Senate Finance Committee asked GAO to analyze states' requirements and practices for assessing the financial eligibility of applicants for Medicaid long-term care coverage. This report presents findings on the extent to which states (1) require documentation on assets from applicants, (2) obtain information from third parties to verify applicants' assets, and (3) obtain information about applicants' assets that could be used to implement eligibility-related DRA provisions.